Electric pulse generation systems using capacitive coupling

ABSTRACT

In accordance with the present disclosure, exposure of a sample to one or more electric pulses via capacitive coupling is described. In certain embodiments, the sample may be a biological sample to be treated or modified using the pulsed electric fields. In certain embodiments, the electric pulses may be delivered to a load using capacitive coupling. In other embodiments, the electric pulses may be bipolar pulses.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/158,106 entitled “ELECTRIC PULSE GENERATION SYSTEMS USING CAPACITIVECOUPLING,” filed on Jan. 17, 2014, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The subject matter described herein relates generally to applicationsutilizing electrical stimulation in the form of pulses, such as in celltherapy and other medical contexts.

Pulsed power has numerous industrial applications, such as medicaltreatments, biotechnology, food processing, water treatment (e.g., waterpurification), exhaust gas treatment, ozone generation, and ionimplantation. For example, transfection is a medical technique used topermeabilize cell membranes to facilitate DNA plasmid entry into thecell. This technique, also known as electroporation, typically involvesapplying electric pulses with sufficient strength and duration topermeabilize the cell membrane while maintaining viability. Once thecell membrane is rendered “leaky,” DNA in a surrounding buffer solutionpasses into the cell. Certain in vivo and ex vivo platelet activationmethods also utilize pulsed electrical stimulation.

Oftentimes in medical techniques employing pulsed power, the pulsegeneration system is directly coupled to the container (e.g., a cuvette)that holds the sample being stimulated. In a directly (i.e.,conductively) coupled system, the current associated with the electricpulse flows directly through the sample. Typical square wave pulses areutilized for electroporation, where one could adjust the pulse width,the pulse amplitude, number of pulses and the frequency. This mayrequire special containers made of a conductive material (i.e., metal),which may be expensive or which may not be suitable for biological orbiochemical specimens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

Certain embodiments commensurate in scope with the originally claimedinvention are summarized below. These embodiments are not intended tolimit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather these embodimentsare intended only to provide a brief summary of possible forms of theinvention. Indeed, the invention may encompass a variety of forms thatmay be similar to or different from the embodiments set forth below.

In a first embodiment, an electric pulse generation system includesmemory, a display, and a user input device. The pulse generation systemalso includes a sample holder which includes a first and secondelectrode disposed on either side of a container containing a sample.The pulse generation system includes pulse generating circuitryconfigured to supply a pulse to the first and second electrodes, and acapacitive element disposed between the pulse generating circuitry andthe second electrode. The pulse generating circuitry is capacitivelycoupled to the container. The pulse generation system also includes aprocessor configured to execute instructions stored on the memory tocontrol the pulse generating circuitry.

In a second embodiment, an electric pulse generation system includes amemory, a display, and a user input device. The pulse generation systemalso includes a sample holder that includes a first and second electrodedisposed on either side of a container containing a sample. The pulsegeneration system includes pulse generating circuitry configured tosupply a pulse to the first and second electrodes, and a capacitiveelement disposed between the pulse generating circuitry and the secondelectrode. The capacitive element may be removable or may be bypassedduring operation of the electric pulse generation system. The pulsegeneration system also includes a processor configured to executeinstructions stored on the memory to control the pulse generatingcircuitry and whether the pulse generating circuitry is directly orcapacitively coupled to the sample.

In a third embodiment, a method includes collecting blood from apatient. A configuration of a sequence of one or more electric pulses isspecified based on a desired parameter associated with growth factorrelease. The blood sample or a platelet rich plasma sample derived fromthe blood sample is then exposed to the sequence of one or more pulsedelectric fields via a capacitively coupled pulse generation system totrigger release of a growth factor in the blood sample or the plateletrich plasma.

In a fourth embodiment, an electric pulse generation system may includea memory, a display, and a user input device. The electric pulsegeneration system may also comprise a sample holder including a firstelectrode and a second electrode disposed on opposite sides of thesample holder, wherein the sample holder is configured to receive asample container and pulse generating circuitry configured to supply afirst pulse and a second pulse to the first and second electrodes. Thefirst pulse has a pulse duration and a first electric field strength andthe second pulse has the pulse duration and a second electric fieldstrength. The first electric field strength and the second electricfield strength are additive inverses. The electric pulse generationsystem may further include a processor configured to execute instructionstored on the memory to control the pulse generating circuitry.

DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood when the following detaileddescription is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in whichlike characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a capacitively coupled pulse generation systemand load, in accordance with an embodiment of the present approach;

FIG. 2 is a schematic of the pulse generation system and load of FIG. 1,in accordance with an embodiment of the present approach;

FIG. 3 is a schematic of the pulse generation system and load of FIG. 1,in accordance with another embodiment of the present approach;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for ex vivo growth factorrelease, in accordance with an embodiment of the present approach;

FIG. 5 is a schematic of a pulse generation system both capacitively anddirectly coupled to a load, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent approach;

FIG. 6 is a graph displaying the amount of platelet derived growthfactor released in unactivated PRP, an unactivated whole blood sample,and a PRP sample capacitively coupled to the pulse generation system;

FIG. 7 is a graph displaying the amount of platelet derived growthfactor released in unactivated PRP, an unactivated whole blood sample,and a PRP sample capacitively coupled to the pulse generation system;and

FIG. 8 is a graph displaying the amount of platelet derived growthfactor released in various blood samples using various approaches,including approaches discussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments of the present subject matter will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not bedescribed in the specification. It should be appreciated that in thedevelopment of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering ordesign project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be madeto achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from oneimplementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that sucha development effort might be complex and time consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, andmanufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of thisdisclosure.

When introducing elements of various embodiments of the presentinvention, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended tomean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,”“including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

Present embodiments relate to a pulse generation system for applicationsemploying pulsed power. Specifically, the embodiments described hereinrelate to a pulse generation system used for medical applicationswherein the load may be a biological sample placed in a cuvette or othersuitable vessel. The pulse generation system may be coupled to thecorresponding load by capacitive coupling, and in some embodiments, byboth capacitive and direct coupling. If the load may be coupled to thepulse generation system by both capacitive and direct coupling, anoperator may select which type of coupling to use. Although theembodiments described herein relate to a specific medical application,it should be appreciated that these are merely examples of possible usesof the subject matter. Accordingly, the disclosed techniques may beimplemented, for example, in other medical treatment applications,biotechnology, food processing, water treatment (e.g., waterpurification), exhaust gas treatment, ozone generation, and ionimplantation. In particular, the samples exposed to the electric pulsesmay be samples used in medical treatment, biotechnology, foodprocessing, water treatment (e.g., water purification), exhaust gastreatment, ozone generation, and/or ion implantation techniques.

With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 1 illustrates a pulse generation system10. The pulse generation system 10 may include pulse generatingcircuitry 12 and a load 14. The load 14 may include electrode sets (orarray of electrodes) 16 and 18; the electrodes 16 and 18 may be designedto conduct high amounts of current, such as in the range of 0.01-35 kA.In the depicted embodiment, the electrodes 16 and 18 are spaced apart onopposite sides of a cuvette 20. That is, the cuvette 20 is disposedbetween and contacted by the electrodes 16 and 18 and the electrodes arecoupled to the pulse generator via contacts 22. In one embodiment, thecuvette 20 is configured to hold a biological or biochemical sample 24,such as a blood sample. In certain embodiments, the cuvette 20 isdisposable and/or is removable from a sample holder 26. Accordingly,insertion of the cuvette 20 and contact of the electrodes 16 and 18 withthe contacts 22 allows the pulse generator to produce an electric pulse,and the sample 24 within the cuvette 20 is exposed to the pulses.Although the illustrated embodiment depicts a cuvette 20, it should beappreciated that a cuvette is but one example of a sample container, andthat any suitable container configured to hold a sample may be disposedbetween the electrodes 16 and 18. In certain embodiments, the cuvette 20or the corresponding sample holder may conduct the electric pulses. Thecuvette 20 separates the electrodes 16 and 18 from one another. Thoughthe preceding description describes the cuvette holding a biologicalsample, it should be appreciated that the load 14 may include anysuitable sample that benefits from exposure to electric pulses and thecorresponding sample holder.

In certain embodiments, the system 10 may include suitable control andinput circuitry and may be implemented in a dedicated housing or may becoupled to a computer or other processor-based system. The system 10 mayinclude a processor 28 that controls the pulse generating circuitry 12.Additional components of the system 10 may include a memory 30 storinginstructions executed by the processor 28. Such instructions may includeprotocols and/or parameters for the electric pulses generated by thepulse generating circuitry 12. The processor 28 may include, forexample, general-purpose single-or multi-chip microprocessors. Inaddition, the processor 28 may be any conventional special purposeprocessor, such as an application-specific processor or circuitry. Thememory 30 may be a mass storage device, a FLASH memory device, removablememory, etc. In addition, a display 32 may provide indications to anoperator related to the operation of the system 10. The system 10 mayinclude a user input device 34 (e.g., a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen,trackball, hand held device or controller or any combination thereof)for activating the pulse generating circuitry 12 and/or selectingappropriate parameters.

In the depicted embodiment, the system 10 is used for ex vivo plateletactivation. For example, the sample may be a blood product that has beenremoved from the body and processed to enrich the platelet concentration(e.g., platelet rich plasma). In other embodiments, the system 10 may beused for in vivo techniques. Accordingly, the system 10 may beimplemented as a wand or other handheld device with spaced electrodesthat delivers an electric pulse in or on a load.

It is envisioned that the pulse generation system 10 as provided hereinmay be implemented as a single-purpose device (e.g., solely for plateletactivation) or as a multi-purpose device that may be used for otherelectric field exposure applications, such as electroporation, inaddition to platelet activation, as discussed herein. Further, thesystem 10 may be configured to generate an electric pulse according toone or more protocols. The protocols may be generated by user inputsand/or may be stored in the memory 30 to be selected by the user. In oneembodiment, the system 10 may operate without any user input to theactivation protocol other than an input to start activation once thesample 24 is loaded. In such an embodiment, the pulse generatingcircuitry 12 may operate under control of the processor 28 to operate asingle protocol with predetermined electric field strength, pulselength, and/or total exposure time. Such a protocol may be determined byempirical or theoretical studies. In other embodiments, the system 10may be configured to receive a user input related to the electric fieldstrength, pulse length, and/or total exposure time. Further, the system10 may be configured to generate a particular pulse shape or to generatea series of pulses that may differ from one another according to a userinput and/or a stored protocol setting.

The pulses generated by the system 10 may have a duration from about 1nanosecond to about 100 microseconds, and an electric field strengthfrom about 0.1 kV/cm to 350 kV/cm, depending on the application. Thespacing between the electrodes 16 and 18 may influence the strength ofthe electric field, which is defined as the ratio of the applied voltageand the electrode gap distance. For example, if a cuvette provides a 1cm gap between the electrodes, exposing the cuvette to 1 kV yields anelectric field strength of 1 kV/cm. While the pulses generated by thesystem may be at least 10 kV/cm, 50 kV/cm, etc., they should not exceedthe breakdown field of the sample 24.

In conventional systems, a pulse generation system would be directlycoupled to the corresponding load, such that current would flow directlyfrom the pulse generating circuitry to and through the sample. As such,the cuvette, or, generically, the sample container, may be made from aconductive (i.e., metal) material, which may be expensive or otherwiseundesirable, such as due to the nature of the sample. Further, thesample may become contaminated due to contact with metallic surfaces.The cuvette 20 may also need to have certain characteristics that reducethe chance of electrical breakdown (e.g., arcing).

To reduce or eliminate the requirements for the sample holder 26, and inthe depicted embodiment, the cuvette 20, the pulse generation system 10may be capacitively coupled to the load 14. The system 10 may include acapacitive element 36 disposed between the pulse generating circuitry 12and the sample 24, as illustrated in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, thecapacitive element 36 may be disposed between the pulse generatingcircuitry 12, and the electrode 16. In the capacitively coupled system10, the capacitive element 36 prevents direct current (DC) from flowingthrough the sample 24, and forces bipolar impulsive currents through thesample.

The capacitive element 36 may be any suitable component or material thatacts as a capacitor and is disposed in series with the sample 24. Forexample, the capacitive element 36 may be a capacitor disposed at theend of the pulse generating circuitry 12, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Acapacitor 36 may also be disposed between the electrode 16 and thesample 24, as illustrated in FIG. 3. For example, a capacitor 36 may beattached to a compartment located between the electrode 16 and thesample holder 26 in a cuvette.

In some embodiments, the capacitive element 36 may be the cuvette 20 orgenerally a sample container. The cuvette 20 may be made of anonconductive material (e.g., quartz, plastic), which allows the cuvetteto act as a capacitor. Nonconductive materials may be cheaper, easier tosterilize, and less prone to contamination than conductive materials.The nonconductive materials may also be more readily available. Forexample, if the system 10 is used for platelet activation, then thesample holder 26 may be the syringe used to collect the sample 24 (i.e.,blood).

In some embodiments, the pulse generation system 10 using capacitivecoupling may be configured to generate bipolar pulses. The processor 28may control the pulse generating circuitry 12 such that two electricpulses, one after the other, may be generated. These two electric pulsesmay have the same pulse duration. However, the amplitude of the electricpulses may be additive inverses. For example, the first electric pulsemay have an electric field strength of 50 kV/cm, while the secondelectric pulse may have an electric field strength of −50 kV/cm. As willbe appreciated, the first pulse may have a positive polarity and thesecond pulse a negative polarity or vice versa, so long as the polarityof the first pulse is opposite that of the second pulse.

Pulse generation systems using capacitive coupling may have benefitsrelated to the results of electrically stimulating the samples. Forexample, in platelet activation techniques using electrical stimulation,the rate of growth factor release may vary based on the types ofelectric pulses emitted by a capacitively coupled pulse generationsystem. For instance, an electric pulse a may cause a growth factor a tobe immediately released, and a growth factor b to be subsequentlyreleased. On the other hand, an electric pulse b may cause a steady rateof release for growth factor a, while halfway through the process growthfactor bis released. The characteristics for the pulses associated withvarying growth factor release may be determined by empirical studies.These pulse configurations may be incorporated into the protocols storedon the memory 30, or may be specified by user input.

A method 40 for triggering growth factor release, as illustrated in FIG.4, may be used in conjunction with the system 10. It should beunderstood that certain steps of the method 40 may be performed by anoperator while other steps of the method may be performed by the system10. At step 42, personnel (e.g., a doctor or nurse) draw blood from apatient, which is centrifuged to generate a PRP sample in step 44. Inthe depicted implementation, personnel determine the correct sequenceand configuration of one or more pulses to apply to the PRP sample totrigger a specific amount of released growth factors in step 46. Inother embodiments, personnel may determine the correct sequence ofpulses based on the desired type of released growth factors and/ordesired rate of release. During step 48, the PRP sample is exposed tothe one or more pulses, which triggers growth factor release in step 50.Finally, in step 52, the growth factors are collected from the PRPsample.

While certain applications may benefit from capacitive coupling, othersmay benefit from direct coupling. As such, it may be desirable for thepulse generation system 10 to be able to couple capacitively or directlyto the load 14 based on the application. For example, as mentionedabove, the capacitive element 36 may be a capacitor disposed between theelectrode 16 and the sample holder 26. The capacitor 36 may beremovable, such that the system 10 normally uses direct coupling, andwhen capacitive coupling is desired the operator attaches the capacitor36. Similarly, an operator may use a conductive sample holder 26 whendirect coupling is desired and a nonconductive sample holder 26 whencapacitive coupling is desired.

Alternatively, the pulse generating circuitry 12 may include circuitrythat allows current to flow directly to the load 14 (i.e., directcoupling) or routes current through a capacitive element 36 (i.e.,capacitive coupling) prior to the load 14, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Forexample, the pulse generating circuitry 12 may include, in parallel, adirect coupling to the load 14 and the capacitive element 36 (e.g., acapacitor) in series with the load 14 (i.e., capacitive coupling). Theprocessor 28 may control two switches 54 that allow current to flow tothe load 14 either via direct coupling or capacitive coupling. Theswitches 54 may be any device capable of being selectively changedbetween an electrically conductive state and a nonconductive state, suchas silicon controlled rectifiers, power transistors, relay switches, orany other like devices. Alternatively, the processor 28 may controlother devices, such as analog or digital multiplexors, that are capableof selecting the circuitry associated with the desired coupling scheme.The processor 28 may receive a user input specifying which couplingscheme the system 10 should use. The protocols stored on the memory 30specifying the characteristics of the pulses generated may also specifywhether to use direct or capacitive coupling.

Some applications may also benefit from a series of electric pulsesdelivered to the load 14 that alternate between direct and capacitivecoupling. Such configurations may be incorporated into the protocolsstored on the memory 30, or may be specified by user input.

EXAMPLES

Controlling the Amount of Growth Factor Release During PlateletActivation

FIG. 6 depicts the amount of growth factor release in various types ofblood samples using electrical stimulation, as discussed herein, alongwith a capacitive coupling approach. Results are shown for samples thatinclude a platelet rich plasma (PRP) sample that has not been activated,a whole blood sample that has not been activated, and a PRP sample thathas been activated via electrical stimulation in a capacitively coupledpulse generation system. The PRP samples were exposed to bipolar pulseswith a voltage of 700 V (electric field strength of 3.5 kV/cm) and acurrent of 30 A. As illustrated, the amount of platelet derived growthfactor (PDGF) present in the capacitively coupled PRP sample is abouttwice that of the non-activated PRP sample and the whole blood sample.

FIG. 7 illustrates the amount of growth factor release in similar typesof samples as in FIG. 6—but a higher capacitive coupling voltagetriggers more growth factor release compared to the baseline,non-activated PRP and whole blood. Here, the capacitively coupled PRPsample was exposed to bipolar pulses with a voltage of 1200 V (electricfield strength of 6 kV/cm) and a current of 60 A. The amount of PDGFreleased in the capacitively coupled PRP sample was six times more thanthat of the non-activated PRP sample and about thirteen times more thanthat of the whole blood sample. As shown, the voltage and currentcharacteristics of the electrical stimulation affect the amount ofgrowth factor released compared to the baseline when the pulsegeneration system is capacitively coupled to the sample. To furtherillustrate the effectiveness of the capacitively coupled pulsegeneration system, FIG. 8 compares the amount of PDGF released in anon-activated PRP sample, a whole blood sample not exposed to electricalstimulation, a blood sample activated with bovine thrombin, and acapacitively coupled PRP sample.

One or more of the disclosed embodiments, alone or in combination, mayprovide one or more technical effects useful for providing pulsed powerin various applications. Certain embodiments may allow operators to usenonconductive materials for sample holders in pulse generation systems.For example, the present capacitively coupled pulse generation systemmay use a syringe or other plastic container as a sample holder. Thesenonconductive samples holders may be less expensive, easier tosterilize, and more readily available than sample holders used inconventional pulse generation systems. Additionally, samples that areelectrically stimulated using the present capacitively coupled pulsegeneration system may differ based on the types of pulses used. Forinstance, varying the pulse parameters for the present capacitivelycoupled pulse generation system for platelet activation may modify theamount of growth factors released. Other embodiments may also allowoperators to use direct or capacitive coupling in pulse generationsystems. For example, the present pulse generation system may containsuitable control and pulse generating circuitry that allows current toflow directly to the sample (i.e., direct coupling) or reroutes thecurrent through a capacitive element (i.e., capacitive coupling). Thetechnical effects and technical problems in the specification areexemplary and not limiting. It should be noted that the embodimentsdescribed in the specification may have other technical effects and cansolve other technical problems.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications and changes will occur to thoseskilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appendedclaims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fallwithin the true spirit of the invention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An electric pulse generation systemcomprising: a sample holder comprising two electrodes wherein the sampleholder is configured to electrically couple the two electrodes to asample container disposed in the sample holder; pulse generatingcircuitry configured to generate an electrical pulse between the twoelectrodes; control circuitry configured to cause the pulse generatingcircuitry to generate the electrical pulse to deliver a pulse to thesample container disposed in the sample holder; and a capacitor disposedin series with the pulse generating circuitry and the two electrodesduring the generation of the electrical pulse between the twoelectrodes.
 2. The electric pulse generation system of claim 1,comprising a resistive path disposed in series with the pulse generatingcircuitry and the two electrodes and disposed in parallel with thecapacitor, and wherein the resistive path comprises a switch configuredto bypass the capacitor.
 3. The electric pulse generation system ofclaim 2, wherein the control circuitry is configured to control theswitch to bypass the capacitor during the delivery of the pulse.
 4. Theelectric pulse generation system of claim 1, wherein the capacitor isreplaceable.
 5. The electric pulse generating system of claim 1, whereinthe sample container comprises a cuvette.
 6. The electric pulsegeneration system of claim 1, wherein the electrical pulse comprises aduration between about 1 nanosecond and about 100 microseconds.
 7. Theelectric pulse generation system of claim 1, wherein the electricalpulse comprises an electric field strength between 0.1 kV/cm and 350kV/cm.
 8. An electric pulse generation system comprising: a sampleholder comprising two electrodes disposed on opposite sides of thesample holder, wherein the sample holder is configured to receive asample container; pulse generating circuitry configured to supply apulse between the electrodes; a first resistive path that directlycouples the pulse generating circuitry and the two electrodes; a secondresistive path that couples the pulse generating circuitry and the twoelectrodes through a capacitive element disposed in series with the twoelectrodes and the pulse generating circuitry; and switching circuitryconfigured to select between the first and the second resistive path. 9.The electric pulse generation system of claim 8, comprising: a memoryconfigured to store a protocol comprising a first set of instructionsand a second set of instructions for the electric pulse generationsystem; and a processor configured to execute the protocol stored on thememory, wherein the first set of instructions causes the pulsegenerating circuitry to supply the pulse between the electrodes, and thesecond set of instructions causes the switching circuitry to selectbetween the first and the second resistive path.
 10. The electric pulsegeneration system of claim 9, wherein the first set of instructionscomprises a pulse shape or a series of pulse.
 11. The electric pulsegeneration system of claim 8, wherein the capacitive element comprisesreplaceable capacitor.
 12. The electric pulse generation system of claim8, wherein the electric pulse generation system is configured to receivean input from an user input device adjust the switching circuitry. 13.The electric pulse generation system of claim 8, wherein the switchingcircuitry comprises a first switch disposed in the first resistive pathand a second switch disposed in the second resistive path.
 14. A methodto operate an electric pulse generation system, the method comprising:placing a sample in a sample container; placing the sample container ina sample holder comprising two electrodes, wherein the sample in thesample container is electrically coupled to the two electrodes; andcausing a pulse generating circuitry to deliver an electric pulse signalto the sample in the sample container via a circuit that comprises: thepulse generating circuitry; the two electrodes; and a capacitor arrangedin series with the two electrodes and the pulse generating circuitryduring the delivery of the electric pulse signal.
 15. The method ofclaim 14, wherein the electric pulse signal comprises a sequence ofelectric pulses, and wherein the method comprises selecting aconfiguration of the electric pulse signal based on a target parameter,the configuration comprising a number of electric pulses, a shape of theelectric pulses, a voltage for the electric pulses, a duration for theelectric pulses, or any combination thereof, and wherein the electricpulses are designed based on the capacitor coupled to the pulsegenerating circuitry.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the targetparameter comprises an amount of growth factor released.
 17. The methodof claim 14, comprising adjusting switching circuitry to bypass thecapacitor and resistively couple the pulse generating circuitry to thetwo electrodes.